The world faces its fourth wave of global food price crises in just 20 years. We must confront one of the root causes of why our food systems are failing to feed the world sustainably and why they remain so vulnerable to geopolitical and economic shocks: the corporate power that shapes how our food is grown, processed, marketed, and consumed.
This atlas not only documents the damaging impacts of corporate power within the food system but also highlights practical alternatives and successful efforts to curb corporate dominance and guarantee access to healthy, affordable food. The solutions showcased range from stronger anti-trust policies designed to halt further consolidation and break up dominant firms, to regulations that strengthen farmers’ bargaining power and secure fairer prices. Equally inspiring are examples from around the world showing how public procurement can reshape food systems while supporting family farming and agroecological production: from public buffer stocks to stabilise prices during crises to large-scale school meal programmes and even publicly owned grocery stores.
The tools needed to curb corporate power already exist. What is missing is the collective power and political courage to deploy them. The new Agribusiness Atlas hopes to provide both insight and inspiration.
